Hazel
by DeLorean
Summary: Hazel is about to start her new job, but what secret has her god father been hiding from her?
1. Hazel

Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter characters apart from Hazel Lupin (yay!)  
  
Chapter 1 - Hazel  
  
The old Riddle house stood atop it's hill, derelict and empty. Or so the inhabitants of the village thought. 'Strange' things had gone on there over a number of years, and now they were happy to believe that it was deserted. Old Mr and Mrs Riddle had lived there, years ago, with their son, until they were all killed under mysterious circumstances. Now the story had become old village gossip and it was believed that no one either owned or used the old house.  
  
Unbeknown to the villagers though, the house was being used by someone: someone by the name of Wormtail.  
  
Wormtail was not the man's real name. His real name was Peter Pettigrew. His old school friends had given Peter the nickname, Wormtail, because of his ability to turn into a rat. That had proved useful many times for Peter: escaping trouble was much easier when you were small and could crawl into holes and down sewers.  
  
Now, as Peter watched his master pacing the room, he wished he could disappear, but he knew he would not get far before his master caught him, and tortured, possibly killed him. Instead he watched fearfully as the tall, cloaked figure of Lord Voldemort walked slowly across the room. Finally, Peter got up the courage to speak.  
  
'M - master, I-'  
  
'Silence you fool!' spat Voldemort, not turning to look at him.  
  
'Master, are you angry with me?' asked Wormtail, shaking slightly.  
  
The pacing stopped. Voldemort turned to face Wormtail who grimaced.  
  
'Why should I be angry at you Wormtail?' he asked in his unnaturally high- pitched voice. He turned away from him and started pacing again.  
  
'I - I don't know my Lord, but ever since-in the graveyard-I mean, Harry Potter-' stammered Wormtail, casting a fearful look in the direction of the door, his only means of escape from the cold dark room they were in.  
  
Voldemort stopped pacing once more, and lowered himself slowly into an old grey chair. 'What about Harry Potter?' he snapped, his red eyes glowing with hatred.  
  
Wormtail backed against a wall, 'Well, my Lord, he - he escaped. He is still alive.'  
  
'You idiot!' hissed Voldemort, 'do you realise I have thought of nothing else since we left my fathers grave tonight? Do you not realise there will be other ways, another time? Or are you beginning to doubt the powers of Lord Voldemort?' He stood up. Wormtail let out a squeak of terror.  
  
'No master, never - I have never doubted you.'  
  
Voldemort laughed cruelly sending shivers down Wormtail's spine. The laugh was cold, like a sudden icy wind blowing. 'Liar!' he spat. 'You do not believe that I can kill Harry Potter. I have failed before, but this time, there will be nothing to stop me.'  
  
Wormtail took a step away from the wall, towards his master. 'How will you do it my Lord?'  
  
Voldemort laughed again. 'That is not for you to know yet Wormtail. Soon. You will know soon.'  
  
'My Lord' stammered Wormtail, 'the Order of the Phoenix will not be a problem. The Ministry of Magic refuse to believe that you have risen.'  
  
'Fools,' whispered Voldemort. 'How could they think I would not return? I am immortal, I will not die.'  
  
'But Harry Potter will my Lord, won't he?' asked Wormtail, edging closer to his master.  
  
'Of course,' replied Voldemort. 'He will be first.'  
  
***  
  
It was not often that Hazel woke up to sunshine streaming in through her window. She lay there for a minute before deciding that she had better get up. She swung her legs over the side of her bed and squinted at the window down at Flaws Bone Drive, where she lived. It was a gorgeous, warm summers day: perfect for spending time in the garden and doing nothing. Unfortunately for Hazel, she wasn't going to have time for lazing around. Today she started her new job, a job for which she had spent years studying, and was eager to start.  
  
Hazel got up off her bed and made her way to the bathroom. She stared the mirror, wondering for the first time if she was ready to take on her new job. A pair of green-grey eyes stared back at her.  
  
'Don't be silly, Hazel' she told herself firmly. 'You know you can do this.'  
  
She splashed cold water over her face. 'You've wanted this job since you left school.'  
  
Hazel made her way back to her bedroom, pausing only to sniff the delicious smell of bacon wafting along the landing from the kitchen downstairs. The smell turned her stomach slightly, probably out of nerves.  
  
Once in her room she dressed quickly, and pulled a comb through her long, wavy, dark hair. As she set the comb back down on her dresser, her eyes fell on a photograph.  
  
It was of her godfather, who had looked after her for almost as long as she could remember. Her parents were dead, Hazel didn't know the details and although she had asked her godfather many times, he couldn't tell her anything about her family. He had been so pleased when she had been accepted for her job. Hazel smiled sadly to herself: she would be sad to have to leave home after twenty-four years of living with her godfather.  
  
Pushing her hair out of her eyes, Hazel walked slowly downstairs, taking in every detail of the house she would be leaving in a few short hours.  
  
'Morning Remus,' she said as she entered the small kitchen.  
  
Her godfather smiled back at her, 'Good morning, Hazel. Are you all set?'  
  
'Yeah, I think so,' said Hazel helping herself to toast.  
  
'Good. There's bacon if you want it,' said Lupin.  
  
'Great, thanks. But I don't think I can eat much. My stomach isn't up to it.'  
  
'Don't worry, they're really not that bad,' said Lupin, laughing. 'You'll be fine Hazel, really you will.'  
  
Hazel smiled and sat chewing her toast thoughtfully. Just then a tapping on the window signalled that an owl had arrived. Remus slid open the window and two brown barn owls swooped in, one carrying the Daily Prophet and the other dropping a letter onto the table.  
  
Hazel picked up the Daily Prophet and began to absent-mindedly flick through it, whilst Lupin tore open his letter and began to read.  
  
'Who was the letter from Remus?' asked Hazel, setting down the newspaper and looking up.  
  
Lupin looked pale and ill, and Hazel's stomach turned. 'Remus, you're scaring me. What was in that letter?'  
  
Lupin folded up the letter, looking deadly serious. 'It doesn't matter who it was from. But I'm afraid, before you go, I must tell you something.'  
  
Hazel nodded, wondering what on Earth it could be. 'What it is? Is it about my job?'  
  
Lupin shook his head. 'Hazel, it's about your family.'  
  
A wave of nausea swept over Hazel. 'Do I want to know? Is it really terrible?' She rested her hands upon the table and noticed they were shaking. 'Is that why you could never really tell me about them?'  
  
Lupin nodded. 'I wanted to tell you from an early age, but I was forbidden by the Ministry of Magic. However, with you about to start your job, they think it's best that you hear this sooner rather than later. You always believed your family to be dead, Hazel and indeed, your parents are. However one member of your family remains still alive.' 


	2. Letters In The Night

Disclaimer: I don't own any names of characters or places in Harry Potter apart from Hazel Lupin and Flaws bone Drive (aren't I lucky *,_,*)  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Disturbances  
  
Harry Potter lay in his bedroom staring up at the ceiling. He had been tossing and turning for hours, but so far, had had no luck in getting to sleep. He rolled over to look at his bedside clock. It was 11.57 meaning Harry would be fifteen in three minute's time. He had been looking forward to his birthday for weeks, mainly because he would be joining his friend Ron at his house for the remainder of the holidays before returning to his school.  
  
His clock now read 12.00. Across the landing he heard his cousin Dudley snoring loudly.  
  
'No wonder I can't sleep,' said Harry quietly to himself. He lay on his back, looking at his ceiling. Moonlight shone straight through the window onto Harry's pillow, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  
  
Harry reached up and put a hand to his forehead, where he had a small lightning shaped scar. It was this scar, which made Harry a very unusual fifteen-year-old boy. He had inherited his looks from his parents. Although he had only seen photographs of them, endless people were telling him how much he looked like his father James Potter and how he had his mother, Lily's, bright green eyes.  
  
Suddenly, a shadow fell across Harry's pillow, blocking out the moonlight. He sat bolt upright, staring at his window. The cause of the shadow was revealed almost at once. A large barn owl was flapping outside Harry's window, with a letter in his beak. Harry scrambled out of bed over to his window and flung it open. The barn owl soared into his room and landed gracefully on his bed. It dropped the letter onto Harry's pillow.  
  
Most normal boys would have been very puzzled to suddenly find a barn owl sitting on their bed in the middle of the night, but Harry Potter was not an ordinary boy. He was in fact a wizard, and sending post by owls, was a completely normal thing for a wizard to do.  
  
As Harry bent down to pick up his letter, something else landed on his pillow; something that hooted shrilly.  
  
'Hello, Pig,' said Harry, taking the letter from the owl's beak. The tiny owl belonged to his friend Ron, and in Harry's opinion, looked nothing like a pig. Pig, looking pleased with himself started rocketing around Harry's room, making an enormous racket.  
  
'Shhh shhhh.' said Harry desperately, hoping that the noise would not wake his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, whom Harry lived with.  
  
Harry picked up the first letter, brought by the barn owl who stretched his wings and soared out of Harry's window, into the black night.  
  
Pig finally calmed down and landed on top of the cage on Harry's desk, which housed Harry's own owl, Hedwig.  
  
Harry slit open the letter, which was from Hogwarts, the school for witches and wizards that he had attended for the last four years. It contained a letter informing Harry of the date on which term started and a list of books for the new school year.  
  
He folded it up and put it to one side. Then his eyes fell on the letter Pig had brought.  
  
He picked it up, opened it and began to read it.  
  
Dear Harry (it read)  
  
Ron here. Just a quick note to remind you that we will be picking you up on your birthday at midday. Mum says you can stay with us until we go back to school, and Hermione's coming as well! Keep safe; we'll see you soon  
  
Ron  
  
P.S. Got your birthday present at home, I don't think Pig was up to carrying it.  
  
Harry frowned slightly at the 'keep safe" part of the letter. He knew why Ron had said that. Only a few short months ago Harry had only just escaped being killed by Lord Voldemort, who had regained his body back, and was returned to full power, as Harry had witnessed at Voldemort's rebirth.  
  
He sighed and put down the letter on his desk and wondered where Voldemort was now. Probably somewhere planning his revenge Harry thought miserably.  
  
Still, there was no use in worrying about something until it happened he thought as he folded up the letter and put it under his bed, along with the rest of his letters from friends. Pig gave a shrill hoot and soared out of the window into the night.  
  
Harry sighed as he lay back on his pillow, feeling content. In a few hours he would be on his way to Ron's house to spend the rest of the holidays there, and after that he would be back at Hogwarts, which felt more like home to Harry than the Dursley's house had ever felt.  
  
*** 


	3. Back to the Weasley's

*Chapter 3*  
  
Fortunately for Harry, Friday didn't take too long to arrive. He was up early to pack away his things, mostly his schoolbooks, so that he could leave as soon as possible. Once he had packed he went downstairs to see if there was any breakfast left for him. As he entered the kitchen, Harry could tell straight away that his uncle was not in a good mood. 'If you can't keep that ruddy owl quiet, it'll have to sleep outside,' roared his uncle spraying bits of toast everywhere as Harry entered the kitchen. Harry was about to point out that it wasn't Hedwig making the noise but thought better of it as he didn't want more toast crumbs in his eye. 'And a good morning to you too,' he muttered under his breath. 'Aren't you leaving today,' growled Uncle Vernon. 'Yes, I'm going at twelve,' sighed Harry 'They're not- not- coming through the fireplace again,' said Uncle Vernon Harry fought the urge to laugh and answered, 'no, they're coming by car.' Uncle Vernon grunted and went back to reading his paper. Harry finished his breakfast quickly and the returned to his room to wait for the Weasleys to arrive. He didn't have long to wait though. At twelve o clock exactly the doorbell rang. Harry peered out of his bedroom window and saw a row of red-haired people standing by the door - there was no mistaking them! Harry bounded down the stairs to answer the door. His Uncle Vernon was standing back in the hallway looking terrified. 'It's those ruddy Worzels or Weasleys or whatever,' he snarled at Harry, 'don't let them in, and hurry up and leave.' Harry nodded and opened the front door. Standing there was Ron, Fred, George and Mr. Weasley. 'Hello Harry!' beamed Mr. Weasley, 'how are you?' 'I'm fine thanks,' answered Harry, 'alright Ron, Fred, George?' Ron nodded and grinned as he caught sight of Uncle Vernon standing back in the hall. 'Do you want a hand with your trunk, Harry?' asked Fred, stepping inside the house. Uncle Vernon made a funny choking noise and Harry quickly replied, 'no, don't worry, I can manage.' He jerked his head in the direction of his Uncle and rolled his eyes. Fred stepped back, grinning. Harry hoped they wouldn't try and play a trick on his uncle, like they had to Dudley last summer. With much difficulty Harry heaved his heavy trunk down the stairs and handed it to Mr. Weasley who stowed it in the boot of the big, black Ministry car waiting outside. Harry dashed upstairs to grab the last of his things and then followed the Wealseys to the car. He climbed into the back seat next to Ron. 'Aren't you going to say goodbye to them?' asked Ron. 'No,' grinned Harry, 'I don't think they'll miss me much!' 


	4. Hermione

Chapter 4  
  
As they pulled up to the Wealey's house Harry felt a strange feeling of returning home. The car stopped and everybody scrambled out. Fred and George carried Harry's things into the house, and up to Ron's room whilst Mr .Wealsey set about getting everyone drinks. 'I suppose Ron told you about why we didn't come to collect you by Floo Powder,' he said as he poured glasses of lemonade. Harry nodded, suddenly his fears returning to him. 'It's terrible,' said Mr. Weasley sitting down at the table, 'everyone has gone back to being careful and not trusting anyone else.' Harry didn't know what to say. A familiar sick feeling was creeping into his stomach. Finally he spoke, 'were the Death Eaters stopped in time? I mean, before they got any Muggles?' Mr. Wealsey didn't speak. He just sighed and shook his head sadly. Ron seeing Harry's face, changed the subject, 'where's mum and Ginny?' he asked. 'Oh they've gone out - to - to get something,' said Mr. Weasley, smiling slightly. 'I think you boys will like it.' Harry and Ron exchanged confused looks, and Ron got up from the table. 'Dya wanna come and unpack, Harry,' he asked. 'Sure,' replied Harry and followed Ron up to his room. Ron sat down on his bed. His room was exactly how Harry had remembered it. 'So, what dya think to all this You-Know-Who business,' asked Ron. Harry shrugged; he didn't know what he thought. There was a silence. 'Is Hermione coming to stay,' Harry asked. 'Oh yeah, I think she's coming tomorrow. Her parents are taking a holiday so mum said she could stay with us for a few days before we go back to school.' 'Great,' said Harry. 'Who do you think will be out new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher this year?' asked Ron. 'I don't know,' said Harry, ' but I really hope that Snape leaves.' Ron chuckled, 'he's like an overgrown bat isn't he? Always-' But Ron's sentence was cut short by his mum calling him from downstairs. 'What now?' muttered Ron as he flung open his bedroom door. 'What?' he shouted back down. 'We've got a surprise for you and Harry,' called back Ginny. Ron turned to look at Harry and raised his eyebrows. 'What dya think it is?' he asked. 'Let's go see,' said Harry and he and Ron ran downstairs into the kitchen. 'Hermione!' exclaimed Ron 'Hi you two,' said Hermione. 'Hi, what are you doing here?' asked Ron. 'Charming!,' laughed Hermione, 'I've come to stay for a few days.' 'Oh,' said Ron, 'I knew that.' 'Why don't you two take Hermione's bags upstairs, and then we can have lunch.' said Mrs. Weasley, 'hello, Harry dear. How are you?' she added. 'I'm fine thanks,' said Harry picking up one of Hermione's bags. Ron picked up the other two and they took them upstairs. Ron pushed open his bedroom door and dropped the bags just inside. 'Ron, don't leave them there' said Hermione, ' someone's going to trip over them!' 'Hasn't changed has she?' muttered Ron to Harry as they moved the bags into a corner. Harry shook his head, grinning. It was good to be back with his friends again, all fears of Lord Voldemort were pushed to the back of his mind. 


End file.
